


Take It, Leave It (But you’d better believe it)

by lloydsglasses



Series: Aro/Ace Twelve [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Aromantic, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Canon Gay Character, Coming Out, Cross-Generational Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, LGBTQ Themes, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 14:05:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11579595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lloydsglasses/pseuds/lloydsglasses
Summary: “I told my foster mum that I’m gay. Now she keeps trying to set me up with guys."“Ah,” says the Doctor, with a frown. “That seems… counterintuitive.”





	Take It, Leave It (But you’d better believe it)

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from a the song 'This is Me' by the Dooberies.

“What’s wrong?” asks the Doctor. He’s sitting in the large swivel chair behind his desk, watching her curiously as she reads through all the comments he’s scribbled on her most recent essay.

“It’s nothing really,” Bill says, keeping her eyes fixed on the paper. When she looks up a few minutes later he’s still staring at her, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. She sighs and relents. “I told my foster mum that I’m gay. Now she keeps trying to set me up with guys.”

“Ah,” says the Doctor, with a frown. “That seems… counterintuitive.”

“Yeah,” she responds glumly, staring down at her essay again. A moment passes in silence, until Bill hears a quiet rustling coming from the Doctor’s side of the table. Glancing up, she finds that he’s carefully arranging a packet of jelly babies on the desk between them. He nudges it towards her.

She takes a couple, chewing on them absently as she thinks back on her ridiculous conversation with Moira. “She told me she thinks I’m making a rash decision. According to her, I’ll probably grow out of it when I’m a bit older. Like, I don’t even know where to start with that one.”

The Doctor picks out a jelly baby for himself. “I wouldn’t either. Sometimes I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand humans.”

“Don’t lump us all together,” Bill says, glaring at him. If he’s trying to be comforting, he’s doing a less than stellar job. “I reckon you Timelords have it easy. It must be nice not having to deal with the whole coming out thing.”

He makes a noncommittal sort of noise and Bill perks up a little with interest. “Does that mean Timelords _do_ have to come out to other people?”

“Not amongst our own kind. But I’ve been knocking around with humans for a long time now, and you lot tend to make assumptions. There’s been a few occasions when I’ve needed to explain. My wife didn’t…” He trails off, eyes flickering towards the photos he keeps on his desk. “Well, I had to explain it a few times.”

“How come?”

“She didn’t really understand at first,” he says softly. “I think it took a while for her to realise that I could want her without _wanting_ her.”

Bill nods, trying to ignore the fact that they are essentially discussing the Doctor’s sex life. Or lack thereof. “But she accepted it eventually? She accepted you?”

“Yes, once she figured out that I wasn’t likely to change.” He swallows, looking a little uncomfortable. “At first she thought I just needed a bit of time and enough encouragement.”

That sounds pretty familiar. Bill stares sadly at the packet of jelly babies and thinks about the fact that someone tried to change him, too.

“You got through to her in the end, though,” she murmurs, and the Doctor nods. “How did you manage it, then? How did you make her realise it’s just part of who you are?”

“I’m not entirely sure, if I’m honest.” He pauses then, frowning at her. “Are we still talking about me?”

Bill shrugs, because they kind of are. It’s just that they’re also kind of talking about her and Moira. 

“I’m afraid my situation was a bit different to yours,” he says gently.

“Yeah,” Bill sighs. “I could really use some advice though. I’ve got no idea what I’m supposed to do about it.”

“I’m not sure it’s necessarily your job to do anything,” says the Doctor, picking out a red jelly baby for himself. “Your foster mum sounds rubbish.”

Bill snorts. “She is.”

“If she’s already rubbish then trying to change her mind probably isn’t worth your time. Not when you could be spending it with those of us who like you just as you are.”

“I suppose,” she says, heartened a little by the compliment. “It’s just, I still have to live with her. It’s gonna be exhausting.”

“I understand.” He looks over at the TARDIS for a moment, coughing self-consciously. “But you know, I have a spaceship. A spaceship that also travels in time. It would be fairly easy to whisk you off somewhere far away if you ever get _too_ exhausted.”

Bill looks between him and the TARDIS consideringly, a small grin creeping across her lips.

“That could work,” she says, reaching out for another jelly baby. “Although if I’m _really exhausted_ , it might end up being more of a let’s-watch-chick-flicks-in-our-pyjamas kind of thing.”

“I think I could probably cope with that,” replies the Doctor, shooting her a smile of his own.

**Author's Note:**

> Yet more of Bill and Twelve being supportive best buds, because I can. <333
> 
> In other news I started a new job two days ago (which, excitingly enough is actually Doctor Who related!) and it’s currently occupying a lot of my time and energy, so I’ve had less time to work on my Lie of the Land AU. I’m aiming to get the next chapter done as soon as possible but yeah, no promises!


End file.
